We’ve been asked that question a few times. “Why did you decide to be five star”? It’s an easy question to answer.

From the time when Heavenfield Cottage was just a thought in our minds we never imagined it being anything other than five star. Firstly and logically our research showed us that there wasn’t a huge choice of quality accommodation for two people in our area and showed us that guests now prefer higher end accommodation and quite often will look for the same or more than they have in their own homes. That was the sensible researched reason.

However five star was important to me because I knew I could do it well, I felt I could provide the quality service and guest experience that five star requires. As well as a keen eye for detail and a love of all things lovely, I knew I wanted guests to feel special, for them to feel thought about and that five star is definitely about more than just high thread counts and matching crockery and not using granny’s old sofa. It is so much more than that, although clearly that is very important too and just the thought of it could bring me out in hives!

Five star to us is ensuring that we think a little deeper, we go a little further, we ensure we have our guests at the forefront of every decision, every thought, every communication and that the journey our guests go on from the minute they touch our business is friendly, thoughtful, exceptional, stand-out and memorable. Whether that is through our website, our social media channels, our emails, our or our personal contact before, during and after a guest stays, that they feel that we have put them first and that they know exactly what they are coming to and who we are.

Holidays, time away, weekend breaks, staycations or whatever you want to call them are important. They are your time to refuel, to rest, to play, to wind down, to explore, to switch off and we have that at the forefront of our minds always. We know that you trust us with your holiday, with your special time away, with your well earned break and we always remember that.

In April we were delighted to be awarded Self Catering Provider of the Year 2020 in the North East of England Tourism awards, an absolutely fantastic achievement for us, we were blown away to be awarded this for the second year running. We feel very lucky to be part of the fantastic overall tourism offer here in Northumberland. However whether its five stars or a gold award that we receive nothing beats the feeling that we get when we know our guests are enjoying their stay or when we receive a great guest review.

If you would like to stay with us, all details of our lovely Heavenfield Cottage together with prices and availability can be found on our website. If you have any queries or if there is anything we can do to make sure your stay is just what you want it to be, then please do get in touch after all it’s all part of the five star service!

What could be better than making plans for some well earned time away, and no matter what you’re looking for Northumberland will be sure to fit the bill. It never fails to impress all who visit this northern most County of England.

The coastline – Northumberland has an unrivaled and magnificent coastline with castles, coves, dunes, wildlife, bird life and with more than 30 miles of beaches to choose from it’s difficult to pick a favourite spot. The beaches are the widest, cleanest and most picturesque you will find in the UK.

The landscape – There aren’t enough words to describe the landscape here, it’s beyond dramatic, it’s inspiring, it’s beautiful, it’s vast, it’s ever changing. Northumberland can take you from harsh and rugged to pretty and idyllic within such a short space of time, but please don’t just take our word for it, it has to be seen to be believed.

History – We’re just bursting with it, whether it’s Kings & castles, battles & riots, stately homes, mining heritage, museums or the Romans and a certain famous Wall you can’t help but be in awe of the facts, the discoveries and the often bloody history steeped almost everywhere you look.

Gardens – Each and every garden you discover in Northumberland is unique and each has it’s own story to tell. Some have a wealth of history embedded in their walls or running through their borders, some are grand and stately whilst others are more modern and full of ambition and quirkiness. Whichever ones you choose to visit you will not be disappointed.

The people – Northumberland is home to only 316,000 people and is so sparsely populated that 97% of it is classed as rural. There may not be many of us Northumbrians but we are the friendliest of folk, happy to chat, happy to take time with you and you will always feel welcome here.

Our produce – We’re producers and we’re proud of it. Our butchers, farm shops, bakers, restaurants, cafes, pubs, dairies, markets, chefs and our farmers will ensure the produce you find in Northumberland is something you will always remember. If it’s produced in Northumberland it’s produced with passion!

Our dark skies – A winter stay is spectacular in Northumberland, we have the darkest starriest skies and can even boast that our International Dark Sky Park is the largest protected Dark Sky area of night sky in Europe. 

If you’re still unsure whether Northumberland is the place for you, then just take a look at what other have had to say about their stay, we promise you won’t want to leave.

If you’d like to book a stay with us and enjoy some 5* luxury then please head to our availability page on our website or you can contact us directly…we look forward to hearing from you.

You can’t visit Northumberland without realising the passion and dedication that goes into producing our local goods and products. Whether we are the ones to grow it, nurture it, care for it, rear it, produce it, harvest it, bake it or be the ones to lovingly prepare and serve it, we are dedicated to ensuring everything Produced in Northumberland is a source of pride to our County and a source of enjoyment for our visitors and residents.

Many of our restaurants, cafes and pubs actively source and promote their use of local produce, Barrasford Arms, The Carts Bog, The Angel of Corbridge, The Beaumont Hotel in Hexham and The Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland to name but a few, all include locally reared or locally grown produce on their menus.

Some of our local establishments have gone a step further to ensure the freshest of ingredients are used, where home grown produce is quite literally taken from garden direct to your table. Restaurant Hjem in Wall is supplied by a specialist grower in Northumberland and The Battlesteads in Wark have their own garden from which they take their own home grown fruit, vegetables, salads, flowers and herbs. What could be better than freshly home grown produce with zero food miles?

We know many of our guests like to shop local and find that their time away gives the opportunity to enjoy preparing and cooking a relaxed and special meal. A quick trip to Hexham or Corbridge and you will find local butchers, bakers and independent local farm shops. The Corbridge Larder, Halls butchers and Grants bakery in Corbridge together with The Grateful Bread bakery in Hexham, Robsons and Cranstons butchers in Hexham along with Ridley’s Fish & Game offer the finest ranges of locally sourced produce. Our local butchers strive to offer the best quality meat with the highest level of traceability, so feel free to ask where your meat is from…it might even be from St Oswald’s Farm!

‘If it’s Produced in Northumberland it’s produced with passion’

If you’re lucky enough to be staying on the 2nd or 4th Saturday of the month be sure to head to the award winning Hexham Farmers’ Market where you will be spoilt for choice, with cheeses, meats, breads, oils, chutneys, jams, fruit, vegetables, honey, fish, beer, spirits, confectionery, gifts, biscuits, pressed juices, coffee and that all important cake….well you are on holiday after all. I don’t think anyone has ever been known to leave Northumberland feeling hungry!

Hexham Farmers’ Market is on in Hexham Market Place from 9am until 12 noon on the 2nd & 4th Saturday each month. Look out for guest producers, live music, competitions and during the autumn months you can take the opportunity to press your own apple juice…you can’t get fresher than that. (images HFM). Further information on current producers can be found on their website.

Some producers across the County are part of the local Produced in Northumberland accredited scheme and it is easy to spot the associated brand and labeling with the distinctive Northumberland flag on many of these products.

As a visitor to Northumberland you will without doubt come across some of our growers, our farmers, our farm shops, our butchers, our brewers, our restaurants, our cafes and our highly talented chefs. We very much hope you are able to sense the passion and commitment in ensuring that you are able to enjoy the very best of Produced in Northumberland.

If you’d like to discover Northumberland and enjoy all we have to offer in our amazing County we would love to welcome you here to St Oswald’s Farm. All details of our accommodation together with availability and prices can be found here.